Communication method and apparatus
First Claim
1. A method for establishing communications between a satellite and a radio coupled to a terrestrial station, the satellite having an orbit with an associated ground path and the terrestrial station having a coverage perimeter with which the associated ground path must intersect for the communications to be possible, said method performed by interacting controllers and comprising steps of:
- (i) determining possible configurations between terrestrial station latitudes, satellite ground path minimum latitudes, and satellite ground path maximum latitudes;
(ii) generating and storing multiple computational methods in a storage medium for computing longitudes of equator crossings of the satellite ground paths for each of the possible configurations;
(iii) selecting one of the multiple computational methods as a selected computational method, wherein the selected computational method corresponds to a configuration for the terrestrial station and the satellite ground path;
(iv) determining with the selected computational method, a first range of longitudes of satellite ground path equator crossings within which the satellite ground path will intersect the coverage perimeter during the satellite orbit;
(v) determining with the selected computational method, a first time when a first equator crossing of the ground path has a longitude falling within the first range of longitudes;
(vi) determining with the selected computational method and the first time, a second time when the satellite ground path will move into the coverage perimeter, and a third time when the satellite ground path will move out of the coverage perimeter; and
(vii) activating the radio between the second time and the third time so as to establish the communications between the terrestrial station and the satellite.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for operating a radio for communicating between a terrestrial station and a satellite by (i) selecting one of a number of predetermined computational methods for computing longitudes of particular satellite ground path equator crossings based on minimum and maximum ground path latitudes and terrestrial station coverage perimeter latitudes, (ii) determining a first range of longitudes of satellite ground path equator crossings corresponding to the coverage perimeter, (iii) determining with the selected method, a first time of day when a first equator crossing has a longitude falling within the first range of longitudes, (iv) determining first and second time intervals for satellite ground path position to move from the first equator crossing into and out of the coverage perimeter and (v) activating the radio during a time determined from a combination of the first time of day and the first and second time intervals.
19 Citations
25 Claims
-
1. A method for establishing communications between a satellite and a radio coupled to a terrestrial station, the satellite having an orbit with an associated ground path and the terrestrial station having a coverage perimeter with which the associated ground path must intersect for the communications to be possible, said method performed by interacting controllers and comprising steps of:
-
(i) determining possible configurations between terrestrial station latitudes, satellite ground path minimum latitudes, and satellite ground path maximum latitudes; (ii) generating and storing multiple computational methods in a storage medium for computing longitudes of equator crossings of the satellite ground paths for each of the possible configurations; (iii) selecting one of the multiple computational methods as a selected computational method, wherein the selected computational method corresponds to a configuration for the terrestrial station and the satellite ground path; (iv) determining with the selected computational method, a first range of longitudes of satellite ground path equator crossings within which the satellite ground path will intersect the coverage perimeter during the satellite orbit; (v) determining with the selected computational method, a first time when a first equator crossing of the ground path has a longitude falling within the first range of longitudes; (vi) determining with the selected computational method and the first time, a second time when the satellite ground path will move into the coverage perimeter, and a third time when the satellite ground path will move out of the coverage perimeter; and (vii) activating the radio between the second time and the third time so as to establish the communications between the terrestrial station and the satellite.
-
-
2. A method for rapid determination of constellation visibility for radio communication between a terrestrial station and a satellite, said method comprising steps of:
-
calculating satellite observation parameters relevant to a particular coverage area by a first computer; selecting a method for computing orbital parameters from a plurality of methods for computing orbital parameters based on the satellite observation parameters calculated in said calculating step; calculating visibility time intervals using the method selected in said selecting step; storing the visibility time intervals in a first storage medium; and activating the radio during a time determined from the visibility time intervals to synchronize communications between the terrestrial station and the satellite. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
-
-
21. In a system comprising a control station, a terrestrial station and a satellite,
the control station including a first computer and a first storage medium coupled to the first computer, the terrestrial station coupled to the control station including a first transmitter and a first receiver each coupled to a first antenna, the satellite including a second computer, a second storage medium coupled to the second computer, a second transmitter and a second receiver each coupled both to the second computer and to a second antenna, a method for determination of satellite visibility for synchronizing communications between the terrestrial station and the satellite, said method comprising steps of: -
providing an initial set of data describing terrestrial station constants, satellite parameters, an epoch time indicating absolute time and date, a start time and a stop time to the first computer; calculating terrestrial station and satellite parameters by the first computer from the initial set of data; determining a visibility case by the first computer; determining a first visibility time interval by the first computer; calculating subsequent visibility time intervals by the first computer; interfacing the control station with the terrestrial station to control an initiation of communications; and synchronizing communications between the terrestrial station and the satellite based on the first visibility time interval and subsequent visibility time intervals. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24)
-
-
25. An apparatus for determination of satellite visibility for synchronizing communications between a terrestrial station and a satellite, said apparatus comprising:
-
a processor; a storage medium, said storage medium coupled to said processor, said storage medium for storing data received from said processor and for supplying stored data to said processor; a transceiver for transmitting messages and for receiving messages to control said communications between said terrestrial station and said satellite; said processor, transceiver and storage medium for; (i) receiving satellite observation parameters relevant to a particular coverage area; (ii) determining a visibility case for said satellite and said terrestrial station by said processor; (iii) calculating visibility time intervals for said visibility case by said processor; and (iv) initiating communication between said satellite and said terrestrial station during a visibility time interval determined by said processor.
-
Specification